


movie night

by Raven_Ehtar



Series: Bones, Metal & Magic [5]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: (Ish) - Freeform, Domestic, F/F, Family Feels, Fluff, M/M, Post-Canon, Pre-Slash, mettasans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-04
Updated: 2018-08-04
Packaged: 2019-06-21 16:34:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,184
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15561903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raven_Ehtar/pseuds/Raven_Ehtar
Summary: The gang gets together for a movie night at Alphys' place. Sans ends up embarrassed and Mettaton confesses his love.





	movie night

“SANS, DID YOU REMEMBER TO BRING THE SNACKS FOR TODAY’S ACTIVITY?”

“yeah, i got them.”

“GOOD! WE DON’T WANT TO BE SEEN AS SLACKING OFF ON THIS, OUR FIRST EVER COMMUNAL SET TOGETHER, DO WE? NO! WE MUST MAKE GOOD FIRST IMPRESSIONS, SO AS TO SECURE FUTURE INVITATIONS!”

“it’s called ‘hanging out,’ pap. and of course we’ll be invited again. alphys is our friend and she loves sharing her nerdy stuff.”

“YES, OF COURSE! OF COURSE SHE WOULD INVITE US AGAIN, BECAUSE WE ARE ALL SUCH GOOD FRIENDS! BUT STILL, ONE MUST NOT TAKE SUCH THINGS FOR GRANTED.”

“… no, i suppose not. you’re wrong though, we have all hung out together before. remember?”

“SANS, THAT DOESN’T COUNT! THAT WAS NOT A TIME OF FRIENDS ‘HANGING OUT,’ IT WAS A TIME OF FRIENDS FIGHTING FOR THEIR LIVES, WHICH IS VASTLY DIFFERENT.”

“i guess you’re right about that.”

“THIS ‘HANGING OUT’ WILL BE THE FIRST TIME WE HAVE DONE SO IN A GROUP OF MORE THAN THREE, AND OUGHT TO BE RECOGNIZED WITH GREATER THAN AVERAGE PUNCTUALITY AND CONSIDERATION. …DO YOU THINK THEY’LL LIKE THE SNACKS WE BROUGHT, SANS?”

Sans looked down at the plastic containers he was carrying. They were the typical kind that Papyrus always used for his spaghetti, and like those, they were full to the brim with noodles. The crucial difference between these and every batch Papyrus had ever made prior to this was that these were _specialty_ spaghetti, whipped up for the occasion. 

The occasion being a movie night hosted by Dr. Alphys. She’d made a personal promise that it wasn’t anime or anime movies or anime OVAs - none of which Sans particularly minded - but something new she’d gotten from the surface. 

Alphys had been practically blooming since the removal of the barrier. Her scientific mind was having a heyday with all the new information and research coming down every day, from practical, hands on stuff to the hundreds of books now available. But it was her nerd mind that was probably having the most fun. No longer being restricted to only what managed to work its way down from the surface in the form of garbage, Alphys was running herself ragged trying to absorb everything at once. The fact that she had been able to narrow down their movie night to a single film, let alone find the time to actually watch it instead of searching for more was an encouraging sign. 

Upon receiving the invitation to Alphys’ lab, Papyrus had rushed out to the Librarby to do research on proper etiquette. Among many things which Sans had managed to talk him out of - cleaning Alphys’ lab while they were there, bringing a potted water sausage, bringing a _lot_ of booze - he had latched on to some things and refused to let go. One had been to bring snacks along, which just as an idea didn’t seem so bad. Alphys didn’t seem much like the cooking type. The problem was… neither was Papyrus.

The book had suggested things like popcorn, chips and dip, crackers, pretzels, little bits of meat on tiny sticks… Papyrus had taken all of it to heart and whipped it all up, with his own particular flair added to every dish. 

Which was why Sans was carrying four containers of spaghetti, one topped with popcorn and pretzels, one whose tomato sauce was replaced with some kind of sour dip and crumbled potato chips, another where the same adjustments were made except with three kinds of cheese and plain crackers, and the last which was completely normal… except for the little toothpicks stuck into the meatballs, turning each one into a small, meaty offensive weapon. Undyne would be proud. 

He looked up at Papyrus, whose face was drawn with worry. Sans grinned even wider. “they’ll love it, bro.”

The smile he was rewarded with could have melted all the snow in Snowdin with its sunniness. 

It’s not like it was _really_ a lie, he thought. They would love Papyrus for how hard he tried, which was close enough to the same thing. And even if the food wasn’t perfect, he knew there would be significantly less to bring back home. _He_ would eat half of it himself if he had to. 

They got to Alphys’ lab and her disappointing door, where Pap pressed the buzzer, as he was only holding two bottles of soda. After about a minute the door finally slid aside, but it wasn’t who Sans had expected to be on the other side. 

“Sans! Papyrus! So glad two such handsome skeletons could join us for our little get together!”

“METTATON!” Papyrus sounded absolutely delighted to see the celebrity bot, while Sans could already feel a slight blush start. He hadn’t expected him to be here. 

“ARE YOU ALSO HERE FOR THE HANGING OUT AND TO WATCH HUMAN FILMS WHILE EATING DELICIOUS SNACKS?”

“Indeed, tall, bright and adorable. Alphys invited me around and I decided to grace you all with the wonder that is I.”

If Sans had proper eyeballs, they would have been in danger of falling out with how hard he was rolling them. Papyrus, of course, noticed nothing questionable in what MTT said. 

“THAT’S WONDERFUL! ARE WE IN TIME?”

“Of course, darling.” Metts stepped aside to allow the two of them in, his EX body making him taller than both of the brothers. “We’re still setting up before beginning the film. There’s a table for snacks and plates for taking what you want before we start.”

“MOST EXCELLENT!”

Papyrus bounded in, all energy and excitement for his first ‘hanging out’ and completely disregarding what that energy was doing to the bottles of soda in his hands. Sans followed him more slowly - he hated walking places - and caught the low giggle coming from Mettaton. He paused and looked up at the bot.

“Your brother seems very enthusiastic this evening,” he said when he caught Sans’ look.

Sans looked after his brother, who was very carefully setting down two soda bottles primed for explosion on the table. “yeah,” he said, and could hear the sappiness in his own voice. “he does that.”

When he noticed the longer than usual silence he looked back up at Mettaton, who was watching him with a soft kind of smirk. 

“what?”

“Nothing, darling!” Mettaton held up his hands placatingly. “Just observing the beauty of familial love, is all.”

Sans scowled a little bit at Metts, but he didn’t press on the subject like Sans expected. Instead he bent down - right at the hips, the tall ham - to take a closer look at the containers Sans was holding. “And what is it you’ve brought, darling? Papyrus’ cooking, I presume?”

“yep.”

“More spaghetti?”

Sans told him what exactly was in the containers. He grinned even wider at the look that spread across Metts’ face. To give the guy credit, he recovered quickly. “Oh dear… your brother seems completely unacquainted with the meaning of ‘restraint,’ doesn’t he?”

“huh. another reason you remind me of him.” He went to the table, wanting to divest himself of his load as soon as he might. It was a long walk from Snowdin with no shortcuts. 

He heard the door slide shut and Mettaton fall into step behind him. “If you knew just how much I _do_ restrain myself, darling bone man, you would not find the resemblance so striking.”

Sans did his very best to pretend he hadn’t heard that and hoped the blue on his face wasn’t spreading so far to where Metts could see it from the back. Spending more time around the guy, not to mention pranking him, had done a lot to settle his nerves and take out much of the awkwardness involved, but that didn’t mean he was completely insensitive to the flirty jibes sent his way. They could still get under his skin - metaphorically speaking. He just hoped the bot planned on behaving himself when around everyone else. 

“alphys! undyne! how’s it going?”

In the end it was just the five of them for the evening, which was just as well, as Alphys’ lab wasn’t set up for gatherings much larger than that. She had plenty of room, but seating was an issue. He knew the doc had access to plenty of chairs, but none of them particularly comfy. Wherever it was she had scrounged up the sofa and loveseat she did have, they were comfy, but smelled a little odd. 

As they settled in for the movie, Undyne ever so subtly - and ever so _firmly_ \- staked out the loveseat for herself and Alphys. Sans was the last to make it to the TV, having to heap his plate high with every kind of Papyrus’ snackgetti. It meant he also had last choice in seats, leaving him with the center cushion on the sofa between Mettaton and Papyrus. 

Sighing, Sans did his best to settle into place while making as little body contact as possible.

“I’M SURPRISED YOU COULD MAKE IT, METTATON,” Pap was saying. “I COULD HAVE SWORN YOU HAD A COUPLE OF SHOWS TONIGHT.”

“Prerecorded, handsome,” Metts replied with a hand wave that threatened to unsettle Sans’ plate. “In order to give me some time to myself, you see.”

“then _i’m_ surprised you’re spending it with us.”

“SANS! DON’T BE RUDE!”

“Oh, don’t worry, darling.” Metts smiled over Pap’s scandalized exclamation. “I’ve grown quite accustomed to your brother over the last few weeks. I’m afraid Dr. Alphys was quite insistent that I spend some time with people who were friends as well as fans.”

Sans looked at the bot, who was endeavoring to take up as much of the sofa as possible. Nearly every sentence that came out of the guy was one loaded with double meanings, but this was a little different than the norm. He wondered what _exactly_ Alphys had said…

Papyrus just nodded with happy approval. “IT IS THE BEST USE OF ONE’S TIME, TO SPEND IT WITH FRIENDS. WHAT ELSE COULD ONE WANT TO DO WITH AN EVENING?”

“What, indeed?” Undyne’s sour reply came from the loveseat, where she was doing her best to soften the cushions before Alphys got back from digging up the movie they were going to watch. 

Sans tried not to snigger. The warrior could probably think of several things she would _like_ to do, but which would be rather hindered in a group. Metts was smirking as well, his thoughts obviously along the same lines. Papyrus hummed to himself as he carefully arranged his plate and glass on the coffee table. 

Alphys wasn’t long in coming with the movie, which was a bit of a relief. Teasing clueless Papyrus was fun, but there were limits, and if he happened to catch on to the innuendos then Sans would be stuck sitting between a highly embarrassed brother and a smug robot for the entire film. Thanks, but no thanks. 

“So what are we watching tonight, Alphy, dear?” 

The lovely lizard lady smiled bashfully. “O-oh. Um. Well, it’s a movie that got recommended to me on one of my forums. I, uh, I- I kinda asked around for anything that was light and fun which folk from the underground might like.”

Undyne growled a little. Always an interesting sound to hear coming from someone of the piscine persuasion. “And you actually got responses? From humans?”

“W- well, yes.” Alphys fidgeted a little with the DVD case. “Actually, m- most humans seem quite interested in talking with a monster, you know.”

“So long as they don’t have to do it face to face.” Undyne had come some way in her views on humans as a whole, but Sans didn’t think she would ever be completely sanguine with them. She’d never be a Papyrus, that was certain, who was constantly oscillating between whether he wanted to adopt a basketful as pets or to style himself as an extremely bony uncle. 

“Come, come, my mermaid! One mustn’t be so harsh on the poor things. It’s been a very long time since our peoples have interacted. It’s bound to take some time for both sides to become acclimated.” Metts grinned at Undyne. “After all, not everyone can be blessed with a face like mine, which is as good as a magic key in the door of diplomacy.”

Alphys giggled and Undyne groaned theatrically, slouching into the loveseat.

“WHAT IS THE FILM CALLED, DR. ALPHYS?”

“Uh…” She squinted at the case. “’ _Labyrinth_.’ It’s about… a girl who has to rescue her baby brother from an evil man in only thirteen hours.”

Papyrus’ face lit up. “OH! IT’S LIKE THE BOOKS YOU SOMETIMES READ TO ME, SANS!”

“yep.” Sans was concentrating on keeping popcorn and spaghetti on his fork at the same time. It was proving difficult.

At the description even Undyne brightened a little. “Sounds a bit like the anime you’ve had me watch before. Are there any giant weapons?”

“Nooo… I, uh.” She paused, apparently struggling with something. This being the norm for Dr. Alphys, everyone knew to wait. “I did watch it once to make sure it was g- good. No giant weapons, but one giant robot-thing towards the end. Um. Something else that’s a little important, I guess. The girl and her brother she’s trying to save are human--“

“NATURALLY!”

“… but she’s trying to rescue him from a ‘Goblin King’… and, uh, everyoneelseinthefilmisamonster.”

There was a moment of silence as everyone sorted out what Alphys had said. It was then followed by the kind of silence that normally precedes a squall rolling in from the sea, usually heralded by icy breezes laden with salt. As one, the three of them on the couch turned to look at Undyne, the center of the brewing storm. 

_“… WHAT?”_

Even Sans swayed back a little from the concentrated venom in that single word. He was rather impressed that Alphys didn’t fold under its influence immediately. 

“I- I- It’s not th- that bad, Undyne, really!”

“A movie where a human triumphs over a _monster--_ “

“N- Not really, i- it’s more of a--“

“And this was _recommended_ as something we might _like_ \--?”

“Undyne, please!”

The unfamiliar sound of Alphys speaking firmly caught everyone off guard, and got Undyne to choke back her angry tirade. Pap and Metts cast awkward looks back and forth between them. Sans munched on the spagcorn. It wasn’t half bad. 

Alphys took a breath. She might have been shaking a little. “Please, Undyne. I _did_ watch it, and it’s not nearly as bad as you’re thinking. In fact it ends really well. Give it a chance?”

Undyne stared at Alphys a minute longer, obviously torn between her outraged principles, her desire to make Alphys happy and perhaps a little pride that Alphys had actually stood up to her. Finally, she grumbled with a snort, “Fine. If it’ll make you happy.”

Everyone relaxed, and Alphys grinned widely, turning to her entertainment system to set up the movie. 

Sans was interrupted in his thoughts of how proud he was of Alphys - and of Undyne - by Mettaton leaning in close to whisper against his skull.

“And that is probably going to be our high point of entertainment for the evening.”

He eyed the bot. “not expectin’ much, huh?” He kept his voice low, as much for Papyrus as for Alphys. The guy was sensitive to how other people felt, and would be upset if he thought someone else wasn’t enjoying themselves. 

“Please, darling,” Metts murmured, and Sans was suddenly much more aware of how close he was. “A human fairytale of rescue and the triumph of good over evil? What could be more predictable, or more dull? Besides, darling Alphys isn’t well known for her good taste in entertainment.”

Before he could reply with more than a grunt, Metts leaned back to lounge against the arm of the sofa and threw his legs across his lap. They were so long that his feet landed on Papyrus. He smirked and held up a finger against any incoming retort. 

“No complaining, darling! There are thousands of monsters out there who would love to have these fabulous legs draped around them. Aren’t you the lucky one?”

“I’LL SAY!” Pap agreed, totally failing to note the azure blush his brother was suddenly afflicted with. “WATCHING MOVIES WITH FRIENDS, AND ONE JUST HAPPENS TO BE THE STAR METTATON! BUT THEN, WE ARE ALL AMAZING. I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, SANS, THE UNDERGROUND’S GREATEST BROTHER, METTATON THE STAR, CAPTAIN OF THE ROYAL GUARD UNDYNE, AND ROYAL SCIENTIST DR. ALPHYS. IT IS NO WONDER WE ARE ALL SUCH FRIENDS. OUR GREATNESS DREW US ALL TOGETHER!”

Undyne rolled her eyes, but a smile was tugging at her lips while she did so. Mettaton bit his lip, looking like he was trying to keep from laughing. Sounding a little strangled, he said, “And none so great as you, my dear. The most precious creature this world has to offer.”

For what felt like the first time in ages, Sans had the satisfaction of seeing someone else blush after one of Metts’ comments. 

Alphys coughed, claws fidgeting with the remote control. “T- Technically I’m not a… a Royal Scientist anymore, so…”

“PSHAW!”

“right,” Sans elaborated for his brother. “titles aren’t everything, doc. you’re still you, and the you you are is the awesomest you around.”

“Exactly darling.” Mettaton stretched into a more comfortable position. “The proof of your greatness lies before you. How could anyone not insanely talented design and create one as flawless as I?”

Off to one side, Undyne made a disgusted noise. “Are we going to get started on this movie or not?”

“Oh!” Alphys scurried to her seat next to Undyne, settling in awkwardly until the Guard Captain threw an arm matter of factly around her shoulders. With a look of bliss she navigated through the menus and started up the movie. The rest of them made themselves comfortable, or as comfortable as possible in Sans’ case, and watched as the opening credits began.

* * *

As the final credits rolled, Sans looked at the faces around him. He wasn’t quite sure what _he_ had expected out of the movie, he hadn’t really given it much thought. Looking round, though, he thought it was safe to say that everyone else’s expectations had been exceeded. 

“SO BEAUTIFUL!” Papyrus sniffled in his ear canal. At some point he’d managed to find of box of tissues and had a small hill of damp, crumpled wads around him. “SUCH A TOUCHING DIPICTION OF BRAVERY, SIBLING LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP!”

Sans patted him on the back consolingly. Unless he was much mistaken they would need to have a copy of _Labyrinth_ in their collection soon. 

“Yeah…” Alphys watched the credits without seeming to see them for a minute, and then turned to Undyne, who had snuggled close during the run time. “What did you think, Undyne?”

For a moment the fish woman didn’t reply, but stared blankly into space. The she came to with a jerk. She looked around the room with an intensity that would make the fiercest enemy cower in place. “I think I need to start all new training tomorrow!”

Alphys blinked behind her spectacles. 

“whyzzat, undyne? planning an assault?”

She tossed her head. “No! Well, maybe… But no! I’ve got to train the Guard in some of those techniques!”

Sans thought about the last half hour of the film, the only place where there had been any battles to speak of, and the only place Undyne could mean. “like… getting run over by big rocks?”

“Feh! No, I mean those cannons! I have to see about issuing the Guard spiked helmets, getting some extra large cannons, and get to some live projectile training!”

Alphys and Sans both blinked at her, then Alphys looked over at Sans. She rose her brows as though to ask, ‘Do you want to explain the infeasibility of using live soldiers as a projectile in combat situations?’ Alphys has expressive brows. 

In reply Sans just held up his hands, in essence, ‘she’s _your_ girlfriend, not mine. have fun.’

In attempt to avoid getting dragged into that little kerfuffle any further, Sans turned to Mettaton, who had been remarkably silent since the movie began. The smartass comment he had ready to go died on his non-existent lips when he saw the celebot’s expression. Eyes wide, lips parted, he looked as though he’d had a religious experience. 

“uh… mettaton? you ok?”

“I…” He blinked a couple of times, then turned to look at Sans, still a little dazed. The expression was almost as unsettling as catching MTT at a loss for words. 

“metts?”

“I-“ he took a deep breath, his eye suddenly clearing. He clasped Sans’ hands without warning, making him jump. 

“I’m in love!”

Sans’ mind went blank. “say what?”

But Mettaton was no longer paying attention to him in the least, but swinging his legs free to walk the length of the ‘TV room’ back and forth, gesturing widely as he went.

“Oh, who could have thought that the humans would have one amongst them so fabulous, so gloriously glamorous as that, and that they could be found so easily in a fairytale film? Ah!” Caught in his emotions, Mettaton struck a pose. “But this is a fairytale, and I have found him! My prince - my king!” With a kind of sighing little scream, Metts swooned - full on _swooned_ to the floor, somehow making the maneuver look graceful.

After a second or two Undyne spoke up with a bland, “I think he liked it, too.”

Sans jumped when Pap put a hand on his shoulder. He looked at Sans, eyes a little worried through their sheen of tears. “ARE YOU TOO HOT, BROTHER? YOUR FACE HAS GONE BRIGHT BLUE.”

“uh. w- well, you know, sittin’ between two people, it gets kinda warm, yeah?”

“OH. WELL, YOU SHOULD HAVE SAID SOMETHING, WE COULD HAVE MOVED FOR YOU.”

Sans waved that off, wishing his cheekbones would cool down. “nah, i’m ok, bro. besides, who gets up in the middle of a movie? not this lazybones.”

Papyrus nodded, still too overcome by post-movie emotions to give what Sans said much thought. “TRUE, TRUE. OH, SANS, DID YOU _SEE_ SOME OF THOSE PUZZLES? AND ALL OF IT SET UP WITHIN ONE _GIANT_ PUZZLE! WE ARE AT PEACE WITH THE HUMANS, BUT DO YOU THINK THERE WILL BE OPPORTUNITY FOR PUZZLE-MAKING IN THE FUTURE?”

Sans smiled wider. Sincerity and simplicity, that was his brother. Where would he be without that steady presence? “sure, bro.”

“REALLY?”

“really, really. there’s gotta be humans out there who like to solve puzzles as much as you like to make ‘em.”

Papyrus smiled so hard it looked as though it hurt, and all was right in Sans’ universe.

* * *

They left not long after the movie. Mettaton had left first, eye bright and going on about finding _everything_ the Jareth actor had ever worked on ever and plans for wardrobe additions. Papyrus had hung back a little, wanting to be a courteous guest and help Alphys to clear the mess made by five people in a few hours - and probably find some way to clean her entire lab while he was at it. Sans has seen him eye it the same way he sometimes did Sans’ room: like a cluttered territory crying out for a tidying conqueror. 

Undyne had shut him down, gently but firmly, by assuring him that she would be staying behind and could help her clean. Alphys had turned beet red at that, but Papyrus just complimented Undyne on her loyal friendship and attention to detail. 

Loaded down with now mostly empty containers, Sans followed Papyrus, who was muttering to himself something that sounded suspiciously like plans to fit a Greater Dog with a saddle. He was just trying to think of a good way to wrap that around into a joke when he was called back to the door. 

“sup, alphys, we forget somethin’?”

“Oh, no. It’s just…” The doc cast a quick look behind her. When she looked back at Sans it was with a shy smile. “I think it’s kind of… sweet. Don’t you?”

About a dozen different meanings for that flashed across Sans’ mind. He raised his brows at the doc. “how d’ya mean?”

“The movie. I mean,” she dropped her gaze, claws twisting together. “I know it’s about a human triumphing over a monster authority, and it all stems from circumstances she brought on herself, but… Through her whole adventure she makes monster friends, comes to depend on them. And in the end, after she’s won, she still says she needs those friends, those monsters in her life. And they get to come out of the Underground! I just think it’s really sweet, is all.”

“i guess so. these kind of films always have a happy ending, ya know. never any kind of sad ones.”

“But it’s not just the characters _in_ the movie, Sans. It shows us something about the people who made it. A movie full of magic and friendship, friendship with _monsters_ … I think it shows they didn’t just miss magic. They missed _us._ ”

**Author's Note:**

> If you think MTT didn’t instantly become a glam rock diva, you are very much mistaken.
> 
> [I'm on tumblr](http://ehtarwrites.tumblr.com/) if anyone wants to come say hi or chat about nerdy things! ♥


End file.
